Raised to More
More Than We Can Be
Jeremiah 1:4-10
New International Version
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah's call is resonating in my heart today.
To be known, consecrated, and appointed is an awe inspiring insight into our own selves under God. It was never, "Will you go?" It was "You shall go." It was never, "Figure out what to day."
It was "You shall say what I command you to say."
But I am a very young boy? Yes, that is me speaking at 67. I have much to learn and much growing to grow and I am a boy.
"Fooey," God says in better words. "Don't say that. I am with you."
With me? Yes, with me.
That is a big deal. Do not gloss over it.
"Do not be afraid."
Could I be afraid with that reality etched into my consciousness?
Has your mouth been touched and words implanted? Has your courage been strengthened and your resolve reordered?
Words ... pluck up, pull down, destroy, overflow.... with PURPOSE:
To plant and build!
Go and say ... today.
"In you, Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame." (Psalm 71:1, NRSV)
"Our God is a consuming fire,: (Hebrews 12:29)
"Awesome," the dudes on the street corner utter, "Awesome!"
He shakes things up.
He shakes me.
He shakes you.
And here we are, just boys and girls and we are shaking the world. God shakes! We shake! The earth shakes!
What a dance!
God has to clear away some debris and old broken down buildings of our own contrivances and the rubble of our rusty rubrics. There needs to be some bulldozing of old orders for the new order to take hold.
Jesus, by His sprinkled blood, the mediator of the new covenant (Heb 12)!
He too, was just a boy!
JUST?!?!
Just nothing ... but JUSTICE!
He came and healed on the Sabbath and exposed the rubric realm of reigning religiosity. (Luke 13"10-17)
But He was not just a boy! He knew the whole story. He knew what it was all about before we started messing with it, over-structuring it, and supervising it as supposed "deputies of God."
Why do we need anything but the words in our mouths and the God who is with us?
Jesus did not despise the Sabbath? He loved it, celebrated it, and restored it?
He did not come to tear down anything of essence. He came to clear the rubble around it so that it might be seen again, afresh, anew.
What have we come to? (Hebrews 12:18ff.)
AWESOME!
There is fire ... always fire.
But there is also festal gathering! Mostly that. That is the THAT!
What cannot be shaken shall remain!
Acceptable worship with reverence!
At that time, a voice shook the earth and it is almost always ...
A VOICE!
Hello there, all you Jeremiahs! You are not just anything. You are known, consecrated, and appointed! You shall go! You shall speak! God is with you and His words are in your mouth.
Go shake a few things and see what remains!
There are treasure out there to be unearthed of God's own planting!
Shake, rattle, and role!
Grace, peace, and joy to you.
Be raised!
Raise others!